For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Anne Mudgett
Rural Philanthropy Days
Event Coordinator
970.367.4439
coordinator@northwestrpd.org

Northwest Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days:
Trailblazing through Changing Times

Steamboat Springs, CO (June 8) — Northwest Colorado Rural Philanthropy Days (RPD) is a three-day regional event taking place September 16-18, 2009 in Steamboat Springs. The Northwest region is comprised of five counties: Grand, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt.

More than 500 nonprofit organizations in the region play a significant role in sustaining the quality of life for residents and provide a wide range of community services from food for the hungry to cultural events.

The goal of RPD is to strengthen the skills of these nonprofits, while effectively connecting them with funders. The theme of Northwest Colorado RPD is “Trailblazing through Changing Times.” This timely—yet historic—inspiration sets the stage for an event that will assist nonprofits to harness the human resources in their communities, tap into the financial resources available through private foundations, government, businesses and individual donors, and foster the resourcefulness that made the West what it is today.

More than 300 nonprofits are expected to attend the 2009 Northwest Colorado RPD, as well as 50 private and government funders. The event includes capacity-building trainings, networking opportunities, and presentations and discussions with funders about our region’s current needs.

During the creation of the first Colorado Grants Guide in 1991, the Community Resource Center (CRC) of Denver discovered that only 3% of the funds granted by Colorado private foundations were awarded outside the Front Range. RPD began in response to this disparity, with the inaugural event held in Grand Junction in 1991. The event is held in two different rural regions of Colorado each year, with each region hosting the event every four years. RPD has become the bridge to connect Front Range foundations with rural nonprofits and provide an opportunity for building relationships and educating each other on needs of the region. Since Rural Philanthropy Days’ inception, grant-makers have increased their funding of rural nonprofit organizations by 300%.

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